5 amazing hotels that won’t break the bank

Friday 20 January 2017

If your bank balance is suffering the financial fallout of the festive season, don’t worry. You can still have a holiday without further breaking the bank. The Good Hotel Guide has handpicked these 5 great-value hotels that over-deliver for the price you pay.

For a room with a view: Ees Wyke, Lake District

This white-painted Georgian country house hotel punches well above its weight when it comes to value for money. From just £90 per night you get award-winning breakfasts and dinners, a warren of walks on the doorstep, and views across one of the most picturesque lakes in the Lake District – Esthwaite Water – so fine in fact that Beatrix Potter couldn’t help but paint it when she holidayed here. Plus, it’s a short walk from Ees Wyke to Hill Top, where Potter lived and created many of her beloved books. Warm hosts and the pleasant country house atmosphere are just the icing on the cake.

For romance: The Old Rectory, Cornwall

The Old Rectory’s remarkable value is just one of the many reasons why visitors choose to stay at this luxury B&B. There’s also the magical valley location close to Cornwall’s beaches and towering cliffs, the organic kitchen garden with beehives and rare-breed pigs, and the pleasing hospitality. But it’s the Thomas Hardy connection that really gets people talking: the novelist met his future wife here in 1870. Book Mr Hardy’s Room to make the most of The Old Rectory’s literary heritage, and sleep in an antique carved bed.

For home comforts: Newbegin House, Yorkshire

Spending a night or 3 at this 5-star B&B is one of the best ways to experience that celebrated Yorkshire hospitality. You’ll share the large Georgian house with 3 generations of the Sweeney family, making this something of a home-away-from-home. Bedrooms are stocked with home comforts like biscuits, chocolates and hot drinks, plus the sort of luxuries you’re less likely to have in your own place: super-king-size beds, great tech and beautifully prepared breakfasts.

For a city break: Grasshoppers, Glasgow

Don’t be fooled by the office-like exterior of this budget-friendly option close to Glasgow’s Central Station. Grasshoppers occupies the top floor – the penthouse, if you like – and the views and cool Scandi-chic interior more than make up for the anonymous building. With unnecessary but heart-warming touches like cupcakes on arrival, free home-made ice cream, a trendy in-house city guide, and breakfast buffet supplied by local delis and producers, it’s hard to believe that rooms are available from just £85 – impressive prices for a city-centre hotel.

For for hospitality: Ael y Bryn, Pembrokeshire

“Idiosyncratically personal” is how one happy guest described Ael y Bryn, and the hosts’ warmth, enthusiasm and desire to please are praised again and again by Good Hotel Guide reviewers. There’s a library, music room and conservatory, yet only enough beds for 8 guests, so this luxury B&B exudes an exclusive vibe. No wonder this rural B&B was a Good Hotel Guide César Winner in 2017 – one of just 10 hotels to gain attention from the awards that have been dubbed the ‘Oscars of hotel keeping’. You’ll leave here feeling thoroughly spoiled.